Sometimes it’s good news when a story isn’t news. Such was the case when Medicare announced in early July that it intended to reimburse physicians for time spent counseling patients about choices for their “advanced care,” that is, medical treatment when they are very sick and near the end of life.

The role racism plays in influencing public attitudes about President Obama and in the venom of his most extreme opposition is not adequately captured in polls, focus groups and political science research. The role of racism is unquantifiable, not invisible .

DecodeDC's foremost aim is to be useful. That means being a reliable, honest and highly entertaining source of insight and explanation. It also means providing multimedia coverage of Washington's people, culture, policies and politics that is enlightening and enjoyable. Whether it's a podcast, a video, an interactive graphic, a short story or a long analysis, it will be based on this guiding principle: We are in DC but not OF DC.